Archello Awards · Winners Announced
Archello Awards 2024 · Winners Announced
Archello Awards 2024
Winners Announced

Haus am See 2

mvm+starke architekten as Architects

The views of Lake Heimbach and the Meuchelberg, a nature reserve on the opposite side of the lake, the oak forest and the steep northern slope are the first impressions to take into account for the "weekend house". The latter is supposed to be the special, almost insoluble challenge. It is reasonable to assume that the house and its future occupants will benefit little from the sun. On closer inspection, however, it can be seen that especially in winter and the transition periods, the sun finds its way across the mountain through the light trees to the property due to the lack of leaves on the trees. This is an essential design idea and ultimately the form of the house.


If the external observer believes that the house is positioned the wrong way round, since the house with the high, transparent facade does not face the lake, one can experience the effect of how the house captures the sunlight shining over the mountain, even in summer months and even more so in winter. So that the entire living space of the small house profits from this effect, there is much transparency and transparency, quasi the visual impression of a one-room house. Another positive side effect is that both qualities of the surroundings, oak forest view and lake view, can be experienced from all rooms. The slope and the funnel shape almost naturally give rise to the inner organisation. The ground floor is structured via a split-level division and divided into two areas of use: the living-cooking/dining area and the bathroom/guest work area. The resident reaches the upper floor via a staircase with an unexpected view of the oak forest. Here there is an additional wet room as well as the bedroom, which is only separated by a large glass pane and in direct visual contact with the rest of the living space.


The structure, resulting from the hillside location and the focus on the lake and oak forest, is understood as a single room. Like a tube, it connects both impressions at the same time in the interior and thus becomes a "through-living space", which manifests itself in the exterior appearance through the larch cladding on the roof and the clearly separated wooden glass elements. The entrance door and two window slits to the east and west break the principle and can also be experienced in the interior as a conscious disturbance of the basic orientation of the building and become special elements without questioning the principle.


The floor slab and exterior walls are made of reinforced concrete. The roof, the interior, the ceiling over the ground floor, the windows, the stairs and the floor covering are wooden constructions. The building is naturally ventilated and heated on the ground floor by underfloor heating. A wood pellet boiler is installed for heating and hot water supply. In addition, the ground floor can be heated with a fireplace. The drinking water supply is ensured by a 60m deep well.

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ElementBrandProduct name
ManufacturersKEIM
ManufacturersFSB
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